City of Oakland v. Oakland Raiders (Raiders I)
Supreme Court of California
646 P.2d 835 (1982)
Relevant factsFree
Facing the Raiders' (defendant) planned relocation to Los Angeles, Oakland (plaintiff) sued under California's broad eminent domain statute to condemn the franchise itself and resell it to a local owner. The trial court dismissed the suit, reasoning no statute specifically authorized condemning a football franchise and that doing so was not a recognized public use.
IssueFree
Whether, in California, a municipality may use its eminent domain powers to condemn an intangible asset such as a sports franchise after payment of just compensation if the franchise is acquired for a public use.